The Japanese Empire
Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War

An accessible, analytical survey of the rise and fall of Imperial Japan in the context of its grand strategy to transform itself into a great power.

S. C. M. Paine (Author)

9781107676169, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 March 2017

218 pages, 5 b/w illus. 12 maps
23.2 x 15.6 x 1.7 cm, 0.32 kg

'The in-depth discussions of particular military campaigns make for a valuable reference. Ravina's book is rich in cultural and intellectual history, and its wideranging geographical and temporal boundaries make for an engaging read for those interested in macro-level analyses.' Scott C. M. Bailey, Journal of World History

The Japanese experience of war from the late-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century presents a stunning example of the meteoric rise and shattering fall of a great power. As Japan modernized and became the one non-European great power, its leaders concluded that an empire on the Asian mainland required the containment of Russia. Japan won the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–5) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5) but became overextended in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1931–45), which escalated, with profound consequences, into World War II. A combination of incomplete institution building, an increasingly lethal international environment, a skewed balance between civil and military authority, and a misunderstanding of geopolitics explains these divergent outcomes. This analytical survey examines themes including the development of Japanese institutions, diversity of opinion within the government, domestic politics, Japanese foreign policy and China's anti-Japanese responses. It is an essential guide for those interested in history, politics and international relations.

Acknowledgements
1. The Meiji generation
2. The First Sino-Japanese War (1894–5)
3. The Russo-Japanese War (1904–5)
4. The transition from a maritime to a continental security paradigm
5. The Second Sino-Japanese War (1931–41)
6. The General Asian War (1941–5)
7. Japan betwixt maritime and continental world orders
Selected bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], Asian history [HBJF]